Girdle



Sept 10, 1957 P. J. MORANO GIRDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1953INVENTOR. Pa/Wck Josef/7 flora/1a Sept 10, 1957 P. J. MdRANo 2,805,421

GIRDLE Filed Sept. 25. 1953 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

fbf/"IM' Josga flora/10 United States Patent GIRDLE Patrick JosephMorano, Newark, N. J., assignor to Even- Pul Foundations, Inc., NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 23, 1953,Serial No. 381,790

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-37) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements and structural refinements in undergarments of the figureconfining and molding type, such as for example, girdles, corselets, andthe like.

More specifically, this invention primarily concerns itself with certainimprovements in the structure and function of the front section of theabdomen encircling portion of such garments, whereby garmentsconstructed in accordance with this invention are better adapted toafiord comfort and freedom of movement for the wearer, without impairingor sacrificing their required figure confining and moldingcharacteristics.

As is well known, conventional girdles or corselets have the tendency tocompress or constrict the abdominal region of the wearers body to suchextent that they are not only difficult to don or remove anduncomfortable to wear, but also that their confining action interferesconsiderably with the movements of the wearer while walking, bending orsitting. During the recent years, efforts have been made to overcomethese disadvantages, largely by modifying the construction of theabdominal encircling portion so as to include what is known as acries-cross arrangement of relatively independent, overlapped panelswhich extend diagonally or obliquely to a transverse plane of thegarment and, by virtue of their crossed relation and relativeindependency, permit the wearer to move her thighs with comparativecase.

However, the independent panels in such criss-cross arrangements wereanchored to the side sections of the garment at vertically spacedpoints, as necessitated by their diagonal or oblique disposition, and,as a result, regions of the garment below those points of anchoragebecame ineffective from the standpoint of figure confining and molding,for which the garments were basically intended.

The instant invention, as already mentioned, is primarily adapted toafford comfort and comparative freedom of movement while maintaining therequired figure control, this being attained by employing overlapped,relatively independent panels which are anchored to the side sections ofthe garment in a common plane, coinciding with the lower edge of thegarment and without any vertical deviation.

Other features of the instant invention reside in the structure of thepanels themselves, this involving various combinations of elastic andnon-elastic material arranged so as to cooperate with the anchoringarrangement of the panels for maximum freedom and figure control.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, this invention resides in the details of construction andarrangement of parts substantially as shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front perspective view, showing the invention embodied ina girdle and in position on the body of a wearer,

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the invention per se.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view, similar to that shown in Figure 2but with the outer panel of the front section broken away,

Figure 4 is an inside elevational view of the front section, showing thearrangement of the inner panel thereof,

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail, taken substantially in the planeof the line 5-5 in Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a front elevational view illustrating a modified embodimentof the invention,

Figure 7 is a front elevational view of the subject shown in Figure 6but with the outer panel broken away,

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of another modified form of theinvention, and

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the subject shown in Figure 8but with the outer panel broken away.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

With reference now to the accompanying drawings in detail, it will beobserved that the invention has been illustrated as embodied in agirdle. However, it is to be understood that the teachings of theinvention may also be applied to other similar garments of the figureconfining and molding type, such as for example, corselets, and thelike.

Referring particularly to Figures 1-5 of the drawings, the garment as awhole is designated by the general reference numeral 10 and the abdomenencircling portion thereof includes a front section 12 and side sections14 which are connected to the side edges 16 of the front section in anysuitable manner. The invention concerns itself primarily with thestructural details of the front section 12, as will be presentlyexplained.

The side edges 16 of the front section 12 are straight and upwardlyconvergent. The greatest transverse distance between these side edges isat the lower edge of the garment, as indicated diagrammatically at 18.Conversely, the least transverse distance betwen the side edges is atthe waist of the garment, as shown diagrammatically at 20.

The front section 12 is composed of two superposed, overlapping panels,namely, the outer panel 22 and the inner panel 24. These panels havesimilar lower edges 26, 28, respectively, which are of an inverted,substantially V-shaped configuration and cross each other substantiallyat the mid-point of the front of the garment. However, it is to be notedthat these lower edges are relatively free and detached from each other,the only connection between the panels 22, 24 being at the side edges 16and at the top of the garment, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. It is to be particularly noted that both ends of each of thelower edges 26, 28 of the respective panels 22, 24 are coterminal orcoincide with the lower ends of the side edges 16 at the points 36which, in turn, are disposed in the normal plane of the lower edge ofthe front section of the garment. By virtue of their inverted,substantially V-shaped configuration, the lower edges 26, 28 havevertices 32, 34, respectively, which are spaced upwardly from the planeof the points 3% and inwardly from the side edges 16.

When the garment is placed in position on the wearers body asillustrated in Figure 1, the recessed lower portions of the panels 22,24, as defined by the inverted, substantially V-shaped edges 26, 28,will afford a substantial amount of freedom of movement for the thighsof the wearer while walking, bending or sitting. At the same time,inasmuch as the terminal points 30 of the lower edges 26, 28, aredisposed at the lower ends of the side edges 16, the anchorage of thesepoints to the side sections 14 is at the lowermost plane of the frontsection 12 andin that manner the figure molding ability of the garmentisnot materially afiec'tedby the freedom of movement which the panels 22,24 afford.

Customary hose ,suspenders35 depend from thei-rear portiomofthe'garmengwhile 'similar susp enders 3 6 are attached to the loweredges 26, 28 of :the panelsi22f24, inwardly er "and somewhat above theanchor points 30. It will'be also noted that the "garment maybe providedwith a conventional slide fastener 33 at either one of the'side'sections14, so desired.

Th'e'freedom of movement facilitated by the particular, alreadydescribed arrangement of the panels 22, 24 is enhanced by the specificstructure of the panels themselves. As is best shown in Figuresl and .2,the outer panel 22 consists of an" upwardly tapered region .or strip ofelastic -m'a'terial 40"having'an arcuate :inner edge 42 connected to adownwardly'tapered region 44 of nonelastic material which, in turn, isconnectedtoan arcuate edge 46 of a second, upwardly'tapered elasticstrip 48. The latter, in turn, is attached to anon-elastic region 50which, although constituting a'component of the front section 12,may bein the form of an integral extension of the adjacent'side section 14, ifso desired.

The inner panel 24, best shown in Figures 3 and 4, consists of anelastic-strip or region '52 which is interposed between two regions 54,56 of non-elastic material. The upper edges 'of'the regions 54, 6,terminate somewhat below the waistline as indicated at 58, 60, so that,in eifect, the sole connection between the inner and outer panels at theupper edge of the front section 12 is between the regions 52 and 44.

It will be observed that in all instances the elastic regions of thepanels 22, 24 extend upwardly from the respective lower edges 26, 28 ofthe panels and are yieldable circumferentially of the garment, asindicated by the arrows 62.

Withreferenee to a modified form of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying Figures 6 and 7, the general arrangement of the frontsection panels is the same as that already described, the onlydifierence being in the specific structure of the panels'themselves.Thus, in the modified form of the garment designated generallyby thereference numeral 70 'in Figures 6 and 7, the structure of the outerpanel 22a is identical to that of the panel 22, while the structureof'the inner panel 24:: is the same as that of thepanel 22a, .but isreversed, side for side, so as to attain the desired overlappingarrangement and the crossing of the lower edges 'ofthetwo panels, asalready explained. For simplicity of designation, the component parts ofthe panel 22a 'havebeen identified by the same reference numeralsas'those of the panel 22 and the corresponding parts of the panel 24ahave been sufifixed by the symbol With reference now to the furthermodified embodiment of the (invention illustrated in the accompanyingFigures'8 and 9 and designated generally by the reference numeral 80,here again the arrangement of the front section panels is substantiallythe same and only the specific structure of thepanels themselves ismodified.

In this instance, the outer panel '82 consists of arela- 4 tively narrowelastic region or strip 84 which is interposed between twore g ionstidfiis o'f non-elastic material. Similarly, the inner panel 90comprises an elastic strip 92 interposed between two regions 94, 96 ofnon-elastic matenial. As will be observed, the vertices of the loweredges 98 of the two panels need notbe sharp or pointed as in thepreviously disolosed 'embodiments, but may be of a roundedconfiguration, as-ishown at 100.

While the side sections14 of the embodiments 10 and are generallynon-elastic," the sid'e' sections 14b of the embodiment SOareof-e'lasticmaterial, yiel'dable circumferentially of the garment, so as tocompensate 'for the relatively smaller amount ofielasticmaterial 84, 92used in the front section panels of the embodiment 80.

While 'in the foregoing there have been shown and described thepreferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood thatvarious other modifications may be resorted to, such :asmay fall withinthe .spirit and scope of the appended .claim.

What is claimed asnewsis In an undergarment of thetorso confining andmolding type, a frontsection defined by apairof .straight and upwardlyconvergent side edges .having the greatest transverse distance.therebetween atthe bottom of the front section, said front sectionlcomprising a.. pair.of superposed panels having coextensiveside edges:seeured together at -theside edges of the rflrontsection, the sideedges of both said panels terminating at Itheirlower ends at the lowerends of the side .ed'ges-ofthe front section, each panel having aninverted substantially V-shaped lower edge extendingupwardlyffromthelower end of one of the side edges'of the ..front .section and thendownwardly to thelower end of the opposite sideedge thereof, said loweredgeof each panelhaving itshighest point disposed transverselyintermediate the side edges of the front section and spaced 'furtherawayfrom-one sideedge thereof than from the other, each panel having .arelatively small substantially triangular-lower edge .region at one sideand a relatively-large substantially triangular lower. edge region attheother side-of .said highest point, the lower edges of said panels-beingcrossed and .detached from each other and the :small lower .edge region.of each panel being in superposed relation'with the 'large lower edgeregion of the other panel, whereby to reinforce the same and whereby toanchorbothen'ds .of the lowerle'dges of both panels at the" bottom ofthe respective opposite sides of the front section.

References Citedin'thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,315,561 Strait Apr. 6, 1943 2,445,322 Fridolph July 20,1948 2,446,590Hill ...a Aug. 10, 1948 2,519,602 Rago Aug. 22, 1950 2,527,926 FcrlscherOct. 31, 1950 2,629,098 Rook Feb. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 603,502France 1am. 9, 1926

